This invention relates to an electrical circuit means to be attached to a conventional vending machine, operated by coins, to prevent certain types of vandalism.
Many coin operated vending machines are in use for dispensing or vending a multitude of types of product. Such machines are subject to vandalism or thievery by unscrupulous persons. Almost universally such vending machines include a coin slot through which a coin is inserted and electrically operated means actuated by the coin for effecting dispensing of a predetermined amount of product, and/or returning change to the buyer if necessary. Vandals and thieves have developed a technique for obtaining product or money from such machines without the use of coins. Through the use of plastic squeeze bottles or the like, people are flooding conductive solutions, such as salt solution or battery acid into the coin slot of vending machines. This solution runs down into the coin chute and changer and plays havoc with coin changer circuit boards, switches and so forth. Depending on the flow of the liquid and the design of the electrical circuits in the changer and vendor, it may "jackpot" the coin tubes and dump all the money in the coin return or set up the vendor so all of the products can be dispensed without further action on the vandals part. While this is happening, the expensive electronic circuitry in the changer and vendor mechanism, with the power still on, can be ruined.